Vikings Showing Interest In Former Raider Stanford Routt
by Christopher Gates on Feb 10, 2012 11:01 AM CST
in Minnesota Vikings 2012 Off-Season
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PrintThe Minnesota Vikings fielded one of the worst secondaries in the National Football League in 2011, a group that set an NFL record by going nine games without intercepting a pass despite playing behind a front seven that tied for the NFL lead in sacks. The group will undoubtedly be a part of the focus for the team during this off-season.
To that end, according to Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Vikings have reached out to former Oakland Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt, who was released by the Silver and Black yesterday.
As Fowler points out, Routt's statistics from last season show both reasons to consider him and reasons he should be avoided. On the upside, he allowed only 47.4% of the passes thrown his direction to be completed, and he had four interceptions and 15 passes defended in 2011. . .on the downside, he also allowed eight touchdown passes last year and was the most penalized DB in the league, getting flagged 17 times.
Routt has decent size (6'1", 195 according to the numbers from NFL.com), but isn't really considered a "Cover 2" sort of player. Then again, new defensive coordinator Alan Williams, while a Tampa-2 disciple of sorts, might be more interested in something more aggressive. . .man, I hope so. . .that Routt could do well in.
The cornerback market is going to be pretty loaded in free agency, however. Some of the names that will be available are Cortland Finnegan, Brandon Carr (my personal choice), Brent Grimes, Tracy Porter, and Carlos Rogers, among others. But at least we know that the Vikings are at least attempting to do something at a spot we know they need to do something at.
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Pleasepleaseplease,
we need to make a move like this. He’s only 27, and he actually isn’t all that bad. He fits in a zone scheme a helluva lot better than the man they played at Oakland.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." -Mark Twain
But I would honestly be happier with the guys that you listed.
Preferably Brandon Carr. He seems like he’s going to be really, really good. Stanford Routt wouldn’t be a bad start if we got him for the right price.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." -Mark Twain
Both
Get one, use the other as recruiting bait.
Our secondary is legendarily awful. Only one worth keeping is Antoine and C. Cook if his legal issues get resolved.
Rolling into the season with Toine, Rout, Carr, and Cook as top 4 CB would go a long ways in easing my pain.
by Jepp The Viking on Feb 10, 2012 12:40 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm kinda partial to that Grimes guy
Honestly though you could pretty much replace them all with manikins and get better effort.
The Vikes aren't in a remodeling or reconstruction they are in a burn the place down and start praying they don't mimic the Lions rebuilding process.
Or even Mannequins
Hey, Routt had a down year.. no doubt.. but he’d be the best cover man on the Vikings on day 1, and there’s no way he can command 10m again. He’s already collecting the entirety of that signing bonus for his massive deal.
Throw him an incentive based contract, 3 year 21 mill, esque.. and let’s PLAY!
If we really wanted a good coverage guy we would bring Berrian back.
Dude never aloud separation to occur! ;-)
\m/
by Edgecrusher71 on Feb 10, 2012 12:08 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
The Vikings have made me come to hate zone defense.
Let’s get some guys who are capable of playing consistent man 2 man. If Routt can do that better than our other guys, I’m all for it.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
apparently "the raiders ran predominantly man to man coverage with eheir corners"
http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Vikings_have_shown_interest_in_cornerback_Stanford_Routt_agent_says021012
i won’t complain about his size, it would be a nice book end to chris cook (if it’s okay to mention him).
well then who the hell are you talkin' to...are you talkin' to me?
I recall Spielman saying that Cook was drafted in order to play 1-on-1 against Megatron.
…and he seemed to do that well despite two monsterously amazing catches by Megatron to win the game. No corner could have stopped him on those plays IMO.
I hope we go man in the future…even if we stink at it. The zone we play is death by a thousand paper cuts and a few hacks to the jugular.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
p.s. your avatar picture is a classic!
well then who the hell are you talkin' to...are you talkin' to me?
Glad you like it.
I first saw that picture 10 years ago and nearly wet myself laughing. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
Somebody should look up how many yards those penalties add up to. Pass interference penalties often lead to points soon after.
by mullets and mustaches on Feb 10, 2012 11:34 AM CST via mobile reply actions
Sometimes
and sometimes the PI stops TDs. Holding isn’t always a bad thing. If a guy knows he’s getting burned, better to take a 5 yard, auto 1st down, than give up a huge pass play.
And if anything it shows he’s aggressive and in position to make a play. That can be refined. What can’t be refined, is a wide-open, arm waving receiver, and having the only hope of an incomplete pass being a drop or bad throw.
Does he make us better, and is he worth the money is all they have to ask. And I think the answers are an easy yes and a probable yes. You can nitpick on Grimes, Carr, and Finnegan too. I like everyone mentioned to improve us, except Tracy Porter. He’s a punk Saint, and a system CB. He’s sort of a Jimmy Hitchcock CB. Not all that immensely talented, just willing to get burned alive to occasionally make a pick-6, because he had an offense that could cover his behind.
Exactly
Woodson is considered to be a top CB in the league AND he’s one of the most penalised.
Sometimes you have to take a penaltie. As long as you do it at the “right time” it’s ok with me.
Don’t know if Routt is the guy, but at the right price he can’t be a setback compared to what we have.
6' 3", 209 lbs, long blond hair, moustache and beard.
As a Viking ought to be ;-)
Secondary improvement = #1 Off-Season priority
Straight Cash Homey
by MOSScomeBACK2vikes on Feb 10, 2012 12:16 PM CST reply actions
^^ What he said.
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by UnBannedVikingholic on Feb 10, 2012 7:05 PM CST up reply actions
Its already been said but..
he would be better than anyone we currently have. Ced Griffin has bum knees, Chris Cook has a lawyer on speed dial 24/7. Hell Im on board.
by Randytheviking17 on Feb 10, 2012 12:27 PM CST via Android app reply actions
If we can taclke CB and WR
In free agency, the Draft will go a long way in addressing “guys teams don’t let get away”. I.E. a franchise LT
by Jepp The Viking on Feb 10, 2012 12:42 PM CST reply actions
Honestly there is no one on this team I'd keep
aside from Antoine and Cook only if his legal issues go away. Adding talent like Rout immediately helps the Vikes.
by Jepp The Viking on Feb 10, 2012 12:42 PM CST reply actions
Sign him!
He’s 28, and a 7-year veteran that has proven he has skill. The Raiders only released him for cap reasons (they were overpaying). He’s got visits lined up with a half dozen teams already, so we’ll have to make a competitive offer if we want to land him. What have we got to lose honestly. He’s an upgrade, and will make at least a 5-7 year impact on the team.
Ponder. Peterson. Percy. Purple Perfection.
I would take Routt over Grimes
If the Vikes play their cards right, and eliminate some of their cap unfriendly contracts, they can perhaps sign both Routt, Carr and Bowe. That would allow some flexibility in the draft.
"At this point, what we got to lose, right? So we might as well throw caution to the wind and hit people in the face."
--Vikings DE Jared Allen
I believe so
"At this point, what we got to lose, right? So we might as well throw caution to the wind and hit people in the face."
--Vikings DE Jared Allen
I'm all for it.
He’s an improvement over everyone but WInfield.
"I wanted to do it because it's fun, it's fun to do bad things and drive into a car."
by PurplePeopleEaters on Feb 10, 2012 1:10 PM CST reply actions
On Seifert's article about it
Other teams are interested too. We all know how the Vikings do against competition for FAs…
by christian220896 on Feb 10, 2012 1:23 PM CST reply actions
It used to be they'd win.
Hutchinson, P. Williams, Antoine Winfield.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
Not my first choice...
I think he benefited quite a bit in 2010 by being the #2 to Nnamdi. In 2011 he was tied for the most TDs credited to him (8) and led the league in penalties (17). I’d much rather have Carr or Grimes is possible. However, he’d still likely be an improvement to what we have.
How in the world would that benefit him?
If you have Nnamdi on the right and Routt on the left, who are you going to throw at? This isn’t like being a WR where a good one makes the others job easier. It’s kind of the opposite. And with opposing teams throwing away from one of the best cover corners of his generation, Routt allowed a completion percentage of about 34%.
Yes, last year was a down year for him of sorts. But he’s a proven shut down cornerback and would be a dramatic improvement for our secondary. Let’s land this guy and cross something off our list of holes!
While I agree...
That he’d be an improvement (as I mentioned above), guarding a team’s #2 WR is a benefit. I know if I wanted an easier assignment I’d rather defend Nate Burleson over Calvin Johnson 8 days of the week.
I’m not opposed to going after the guy (as the Vikes & a few other teams have already begun) but he’s still not my first or second choice.
Oakland didn't play that way
Nnamdi was always in the same location (left side, iirc), covering whoever the offense lined up across from him. He complained about that at one point, saying that the Oakland defense didn’t adjust to their opponents. Just one reason why he struggled in Philly last season, suddenly he had to do things he wasn’t used to doing.
I'm for this.
At this point, we should focus very heavily on corners this FA. We’ve got some nice cap space to fill, so why not pick up two or three top level guys, if we can? I know I’m a hypocrite for saying so, seeing as how I gave a furious tirade against the Eagles past off-season for doing something similiar (and was proven quite right), but at this point, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Also, I think it’s worth mentioning that the list of FAs Chris posted are by no means guaranteed to actually become FAs. Routt was let go early to avoid paying his bonus, whereas the others still have some time to be re-signed. Finegan, for example, would surprise me very much to actually appear on the market, despite his recent squabbles with the team. Therefore, with this guy actually open for the taking, I say- do the taking.
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actually Seifert states we're at 115 million right now
So that leaves us with five million to work with unless we start tossing some people.
The Vikes aren't in a remodeling or reconstruction they are in a burn the place down and start praying they don't mimic the Lions rebuilding process.
Tossing Hutch, Hererra, and Griffin would give us another 13 million or so.
by CanadianViking on Feb 10, 2012 1:58 PM CST up reply actions
hutch,herera,and griffen
I think all three make the team better and i hope we keep all three (at reduced contracts) to teach the young draft picks and keep the locker room together.
I wouldn't mind keeping Hutch for another year at a reduced salary but the other two aren't worth keeping at all in my opinion.
Hererra was average at best three years ago when he was last fully healthy and I though both Fusco and Berger looked better than him last year. Cedric was good before the two knee injuries but he was pretty terrible all year and cleaned out his locker at the end of the year after being in Frazier’s doghouse and made it pretty clear he didn’t expect to come back.
by CanadianViking on Feb 10, 2012 2:20 PM CST up reply actions
I think all 3 are done.
It’s time to move on and get younger. Keep the youth movement going. I don’t believe the $115m cap number either. It’s got to be lower.
by Torstein on Feb 10, 2012 5:25 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Agreed.
Even if they have more space than Seiffert’s article suggests these three are way overpaid for declining production.
by CanadianViking on Feb 10, 2012 6:06 PM CST up reply actions
Tossing Winfield would save us $7mill...
Which is WAY too much money to pay a mid-thirties corner who can’t stay healthy anymore. Love the guy, but it’s time to let him go!
by FLSKOLMAN on Feb 10, 2012 2:23 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Actually...
Due to injuries, Winfield’s base salary would only be $3 million next year and would only hit $7 million based on incentives making him much more affordable.
Winfield is a 5'9" corner in a league of 6'+ tall WR's
His skills have diminished, and all the years of hitting like a beast have started breaking his body down. Cut him and go young.
by FLSKOLMAN on Feb 10, 2012 2:32 PM CST via mobile reply actions
He's still our best corner
His skills haven’t really diminished, just his playing time. He’s gotten injured too much but he’ll probably be our nickel corner this year so it’ll work out just fine.
Sign Routt, put Winfield at nickel. If Cook somehow escapes his legal issues, this secondary is back in business. Well, the corners are at least. Baby steps.
move winfield to safety
i have no faith in jamarca sanford. winfield could thrive there for another year or two.
by Randytheviking17 on Feb 10, 2012 7:31 PM CST via Android app up reply actions
Too small, old and injury prone for safety
It would be awful for Winfield to end up at safety.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
Having read interviews with both Winfield and Frazier
I find this switch to safety thing to be highly unlikely, if Winfield is back it will be as the slot corner.
"none of us is a fan of the team" - Judd Zulgad (also fabricated the "schism" reports of 09')
I guess it depends on how much money he wants
He will be 29 in July. Here is what he did last year …
Routt is a decent player, but he is probably best suited to be a No. 2 cornerback. He was better playing alongside Asomugha than he was as the team’s No. 1 corner. Routt was solid in coverage, but was penalized 17 times and gave up eight touchdowns, tied for the second-highest total in the NFL last season.
He does not get enough tackles for my taste either.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/8452/stanford-routt
But maybe the Vikings realize that it will be very difficult to attract free agents especially when you come off a 3-13 season and when the outlook does not look bright.
We are most likely only going to get guy that want to get paid most of all.
IMO the Vikings need to aim high and overpay for some of the top free agents. Then they can fill in the rest with lower level free agents for not too much money and that would be easy to release.
if the Vikings are interested in any player from Oakland
It better be Tyvon Branch. This dude has been a beast at Safety and would be a huge upgrade for the secondary.
by mattnmics on Feb 10, 2012 4:35 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Go for it
He already has 20 mil from the Raiders, so he can’t need that much on his new contract.
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by Eric J. Thompson on Feb 10, 2012 5:59 PM CST via Android app reply actions
I would love to get Routt and Carr or Grimes
Im hoping for the corners/WRs to be signed in FA ,and get the Oline help in the draft. Routt,Carr and Bowe and trade down to get Kalil and get Cleveland’s other first round pick at 22 and take the top Guard prospect.
10-6 next year boys!!!
by RaysOfHope on Feb 10, 2012 6:15 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Trade down to get Kalil?
I don’t think that’s in the cards. We will grab him if he’s available. I think it’s 50/50 that he will be.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
Have to watch tape
To see that many times blown coverage was by the safety, making the corner look bad. I think we have bigger need at safety than corner (although we need upgrades at corner also). Agree that we need to look at our big contract players. Even Allen is only under contract for two more years. If we don’t make significant improvements, Allen’s going to greener pastures in 2014. We need to make some serious moves now and that means getting younger. Have to think about cutting ties with Hutch, Winfield.
by Vikefandc on Feb 10, 2012 7:32 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Frazier thinks otherwise
To see that many times blown coverage was by the safety, making the corner look bad.
Griff was benched because he failed to engage his guys at the line and slow them down prior to the release to the safety. It was, according to Frazier, basic football and Griff repeatedly failed to make that happen. There’s too much ground for a safety to cover without getting a little assistance from the cornerback.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
The problem definitely occurred
At the edge of the zones. These guys are professional football players, there is no way that one of them was constantly the one messing it up. Both the corner and safety deserve equal blame, although I will agree the safety has the shorter end of the stick considering how much bigger their zone is.
"none of us is a fan of the team" - Judd Zulgad (also fabricated the "schism" reports of 09')
This would be a great addition
The Vikings need a top line CB, but they also need to replace the second CB as well. Having someone who is young with some upside is perfect, he has room to develop. Still need a CB of a higher quality (pretty much any of the other guys you listed will work) to take the other side of the field though.
Hopefully the Vikings start out the 2012 season with these CB’s (listed depth-wise)
1. One of the FA CB listed in the article
2. Stanford Routt (I realize he has not been signed yet)
3. Antoine Winfield (contract will be reduced when he is in the slot)
4. Asher Allen (not ready to start, playing at dime is a good fit)
5+ I don’t even want to take a stab at the back ups, I expect to see very few familiar faces in this unit
"none of us is a fan of the team" - Judd Zulgad (also fabricated the "schism" reports of 09')
You left out Cook
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by UnBannedVikingholic on Feb 10, 2012 9:18 PM CST up reply actions
Anyone else
drinking some Lin and Juice, or going Linsain?
Minnesota Vikings & Chicago Bulls Fan First, American Second.
☠★☪Creator of http:/vikescity.info/
by UnBannedVikingholic on Feb 11, 2012 8:09 AM CST reply actions
Linsanity is infectous... but hard to see live from where I live.
Great story though. Even hit the go ahead free throws in the final 4 seconds last night as I understand it.
"Men are creatures with two legs and eight hands. - Jayne Mansfield
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